Wind so strong it turned umbrellas inside out. Rain in torrents flooding the roads. Even snow! Ho! Ho! Ho! And then, on the shortest day of the year, ahhhhhh, blessed sunshine with a crystal clear blue sky. The best gift of this holiday season. In this dark, damp corner of the year when cars gets moldy and shoe seals leak, a day like today doesn’t come along often enough. So when it did, I was filled with gratitude and joy and struck out excitedly to one of my favorite trails. People often ask, “What’s your favorite trail?” I smile. It depends. It’s like asking, “What’s your favorite restaurant?” It might be an old favorite or a new upstart. You like the food or the ambience. Maybe they have music or a view. Or perhaps it’s a dive restaurant with marginal food but you have fond memories of when you were there with friends that made you laugh so hard your beverage came out your nose. Good reasons for outdoor dining. One of my favorite trails is the Pratt Loop for several reasons. It has wide open fields frequented by raptors bordered by hedges full of sparrows, blackbirds, juncos and chickadees. Part of it weaves through the woods where I see ravens, warblers and nuthatches. There are historic barns and fields still in use by local farmers. You can peer through the hedge and see barns, tractors and cows! And they’re peering back at you. This is part of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, but it’s never crowded. Also, it’s flat and easy for most of us. It's wide enough to walk side by side with a friend. And it connects to other trails so you can make a loop or a figure eight, if time allows. Today I decided to turn left and go by the Ebey’s cabin because the big, blue, mountains beyond were calling with fresh snow like sugar frosting on top. I appreciate the well preserved historic structures and the interpretive signs that tell us about parts of our past. Walking by the cabin and blockhouse, I stayed to the right of the fence line and followed the Pratt Loop. Then I saw a man walking with a dog. So I turned toward the bluff in order to say hello and pet the dog that came over and leaned against me like an old friend. Approaching the sheepherder’s barn just under the bluff I thought Joseph and Mary would have found this stable very accommodating. It even has an old cistern in the back. From there I walked out to the bluff, because, well, who could resist looking out over the blue expanse of water on such a bright sky day. Waves brushed the beach below. A hiker climbed the trail above. Mount Rainier stood silhouetted in the distance. I turned and headed back on the Ridge Trail. Part way along, at a break in the fence, I turned left and returned to the Pratt Loop following it alongside the field covered with small green sprouts. Hesitantly, I left the sunshine and entered the woods. Birds sang gaily from every shrub enjoying the sun after a week of wind and rain. A Kinglet swooped in for a quick hello. I saw the cabin across the field. The trail popped out into the sun. A south facing bench beckoned, but I kept walking into another well-kept barn complex with a map mounted on the wall. This is where the Pratt Loop and Kettles Spur trails intersect. Taking a right, I finished the loop between the hedge and the field and made my way back to the parking lot. Peering over the hedge I could see a blockhouse in the Sunnyside Cemetery. A white picket fence surrounds the graves of the Ebey family who were among the first white settlers on Whidbey Island. So today, this was my favorite trail. Tomorrow? Who knows? Maribeth Have a Happy Healthy Holiday! Directions: The trailhead is 1 and ½ miles from the intersection of Main Street and Highway 20 in Coupeville. Restrooms and a kiosk with maps and information are available at the trailhead. The Pratt Loop may be doable with a trail savvy motorized wheelchair.
By Car-From the intersection, drive north on the highway for ¾ of a mile and turn left on Sherman Road, then veer right onto Cemetery Road and follow it to the very end. Please drive slowly when the road narrows to one lane. By Bike-Take the Kettles or Rhododendron bike path alongside Highway 20 north of Sherman Road and look carefully for the signpost to the Kettles Spur Trail. Lock your bike to the rack by the kiosk. The Kettles Spur trail is about a ¼ mile long and meets the Pratt Loop at the barn where a map is mounted. By Bus – Take the fare free Route 1 Northbound bus from Coupeville, or Southbound from Oak Harbor, Monday-Saturdays, and ask the driver to let you off at Sherman Road. On the northbound bus you'll need to carefully cross the highway and then turn right on the bike path (away from Coupeville). Walk a short distance and turn left onto the Kettle Spur trail. Walk a ¼ mile to the Pratt Loop Trail where there’s a map mounted on the barn.
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Maribeth Crandell has been a hiking guide in the Pacific NW for over 20 years. She's lived on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island for decades. As a frequent bus rider she easily makes connections between trails and transit. Archives by date
April 2024
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